Monday, November 21, 2016

Test 2

It is raining in Tucson today so the test of the solar telescope optical system was conducted inside and the target was a distant mountain. The video was taken through the window...not the best practice but the test wasn't about getting the best image. You might wonder why so many tests. It is one thing to have a great plan designing a system and another to actually implement it. My goal is to have a robust, reliable system in place for the eclipse. The only way to get that result is test, reconfigure and test again...until it's right. So starting the process in November for an eclipse happening in August is just about right. Remember this is only one of several systems that will be used during the eclipse. I post these tests to give you an idea of what is involved in doing science using equipment to collect data. This is the practical "nuts and bolts" part of science that eludes the public.